Photokina, the large, semi-annual European camera show, kicks off in Cologne, Germany, with press conferences on Monday. PCMag will be on the ground covering the show, but there have already been a few announcements for products that will make their public debuts at the show. Here's what we know is coming for sure, and what the rumor mill.

Early AnnouncementsCanon kicked things off with its newest mirrorless camera, the EOS M5. It promises to deliver faster autofocus than previous entries in the M series, and includes a built-in EVF and Wi-Fi. Canon also announced a couple of new lenses: a long zoom design for the M system and a full-frame telezoom.

Canon had a huge slate at Photokina 2014, including an update to its flagship APS-C SLR, the EOS 7D Mark II, but it looks like it'll be a comparatively quiet show for the popular camera maker this go-round. Its most popular pro body, the 5D, got an update in the form of the 5D Mark IV last month. I don't expect to see any additional announcements at the show.

Zeiss announced a few new lenses in its Milvus family last week, and has followed that up with an addition to its Loxia family of manual focus lenses for Sony mirrorless cameras. The Loxia 2.4/85 is a short telephoto design, with an ideal aperture and focal length for portraiture. Its all-metal construction gives it a classic feel, and its Sonnar optical is sure to draw pleasing images. It will ship in December and is priced at $1,399.

Leica also made a couple of early announcements, but unlike Canon I wouldn't be surprised to see the German company unveil a few additional products on its home turf. The first came earlier this week, a limited edition version of the M-P (Typ 240) with titanium top and bottom plates and matching Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH. and APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH. lenses. It's limited to 333 pieces and will be sold exclusively at Leica retail stores and boutiques. There's no word on pricing, but given the cost of non-limited editions of the camera and lenses, you can be sure it'll be expensive.

But if you want a Leica you can afford, take a look at the Sofort. It's a new instant camera that uses the Fujifilm Instax Mini film format. It's priced at $300, more expensive than a similar model from Fuji like the Instax Mini 90 ($149), but its design is quite stylish. It can use Fuji's film, but Leica is also going to sell its own branded Instax Mini film in color or black and white. The Leica film will have a cream colored border rather than a white one.

Medium (Format) RumorsThe boldest and most touted rumor preceding the show is that Fujifilm is set to release a mirrorless medium format camera. Rumors of medium format mirrorless have swirled before—at Photokina 2014 many expected Sony to dip its toes into that space. But an actual product has materizlied this year, the Hasselblad X1D. It would make a lot of sense for Fujifilm to release a similar camera at a lower price point, and likely one that supports the same lens system. Fuji's lens subsidiary, Fujinon, manufactures medium format lenses for Hasselblad, including those for the X1D.

Will the rumored camera actually become a real thing? It wouldn't shock me if it does materialize. We'll know for sure on Tuesday.

All is quiet on the Sony rumor front. Interestingly, there was a lot of buzz about a Sony mirrorless medium format camera coming at Photokina 2014, but it didn't materialize. The company has worked to seal product news leaks over the past few years, so we'll just have to wait until the press conference on Monday, but it would certainly be something if Sony and Fujifilm entered that space in the same show.

Other camera makers unveiling new products on press day include Nikon, Olympus, and Panasonic. Ricoh Pentax doesn't have a press conference scheduled, but we'll keep an eye out for announcements. Check back here to see what new gear arrives at the show!

Senior digital camera analyst for the PCMag consumer electronics reviews team, Jim Fisher is a graduate of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he concentrated on documentary video production. Jim's interest in photography really took off when he borrowed his father's Hasselblad 500C and light meter in 2007. He honed his writing skills at retailer B&H Photo, where he wrote thousands upon thousands of product descriptions, blog posts, and reviews. Since then he's shot with hundreds of camera models, ranging from pocket point-and-shoots to medium format...
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